Craven County Smart Start has partnered with the New Bern Police Department to do some "booking."

The Outreach Program of Smart Start gave boxes of new books to the Police Department on Friday to be distributed to homes that officers often visit.

Pinkie Moore, community outreach coordinator for Smart Start, delivered the books.

"We had never thought about the Police Department being a literacy partner," she said, "until we talked with several police officers and detectives. They told us they go into homes investigating crimes and often see no reading material for children. We knew we had to find books to give to New Bern and Havelock police to help put books into these troubled homes."

New Bern police Capt. Denise Harris-Powell, who is on the board of directors of Craven Smart Start, scanned through the 120 packets of books that Moore delivered. 

Harris-Powell said the books would be great for the police officers to distribute to children who might otherwise have no appropriate reading material.

Moore is thanking Waldenbooks for the books donated by customers in August. The books are new.

Moore said giving books to families is not enough. "Parents need to read books with their children daily," she said. "This is the way children learn to love books and to learn to read."

Moore provided program guides for parents to help their child to learn to read.

She said one in three children entering kindergarten lacks basic pre-reading skills. She said those skills are proven to be a key factor in determining high school graduation and lifelong success.

For more information about the Community Outreach Program of Craven Smart Start, call 671-0689.